St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-09-24

A long face. = poor mouth and suit
of respectfully shabby clothes. with a
voice trained down to an empty stom-
Ach whihc are about all the capital re-
quired- unlimited gall-by the
modern street brigand. the pawn.
ticket fakir. He is generally in part
aership with pawnbrokers of shady
neutrality-suspicious. who are moi
exactly receivers of stolen goods.
but whose keen mercantile instinct
beads them to advance a trihing sum Of
money on a valuable jewel handed over
the counter by tramp. They arc all
honorable men. of course. because they
are seldom found out But the ticket
fakir has little to do with valuable
Sewels or property unless his fingers
happen to stray against them acci-
dentally. While this is true as gen.
eral thing. there are exceptions. The
fakir who does the broken-down sport
act very often carries pawn tickets rep
rcsepting his equity in alleged dia.
monds and other valuables supposed
to have been hypothecated during one
of those periods when the silver lining
was turned the wrong side up. Itmay
be taken - . rule. however. that the
fakir's pawn tickets are regulated &C.
'cording to his apparent station.
A young fellow, tall. white-faced
A.d looking miserably attenuated. his
clothes quite shabby and buttoned ny
lclose about the neck. has been work.
ing Fulton street late o nights fol
some weeks presumably changing his
office location quite frequently. A,
almost midnight hs accosted gentle
man near Pierrepont street. with the
conventional whine:
Excuse me, sir. just a minute.
please. Could you oblige me with a
few pennies to help me get meal?"
''What's the matter. out of work p
qusried the pedestrian. who was just
returning from lodge and was a little
mellow. As he holds . public position
he feels very solicitous that his name
should be suppressed.
Finding his victim in . talkative
mood. the fakir drops the whine and
adopts . confidential tone.
"Wcll. it's partly that; but the truth
IS I've been on the lose for q week or
two and I've had to pawn my clothes
and watch and borrow these rags I've
got ton. live at Newark. and haven't
got the face to 60 back looking like
this. I've written to friend for some
money. and guess Ill get it in day
or two. But must 60 hungry and
walk the streets in the meantime"
But the victim had frozen up, and.
growing suspicious. was pushing BY
with curt: Il haven't got anything"
when the fakir planked down his little
Joker and took the trick.
'.Look here. boss, I'm no beggar.
only want enough to get a bed and
meals till my money arrives. A couple
of dollars IL do Here's the pawn ticket
Of my watch. i only borrowed twenty
dollars on it. because l didn't expect to
20 broke. The watch cost my father
one hundred and fifty dollars when he
bought it for me. Wouldn't part with
it for five hundred dollars II you'll
lend me two or three dollars till get
my money I'll leave my ticket with you
as security. l don't like to insult you
by offering to pay for kindness, but if
adollar or two's an object I'll pay it
with pleasure for the accommodation. :"
The gentleman took the ticket, looked
at itcasually and then drew out . small
bundle of greenbackA The fakir saw
Hhat he had succeeded. and added, with
y tinge Of simulated anxiety in his
voice:
II suppose you won't object to telling
me where can find you. sira''
he didn't object and he handed the
fellow three dollars. cutting short his
Profuse thanks BY jumping on \ car.
a week elapsed and the unfortunate
young man did not seem to have re-
ceivcd his money from Newark. for he
9aiied to redeem that ticket which rep
resented watch he would not sell for
i've hundred dollars. The victim then
started to New York and called at the
pawnbroker's Office. He laid the ticket
down on the counter. saying:
LET me So what sort Of watch
that isf''
~ Hsbrewlsh young man. with inhy